The Port Health Services (PHS), on Thursday, partnered with the police, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Apapa Local Government to sensitise port users on the benefits of a clean environment.

Adeniyi Ogungbayi, the officer in charge, PHS, NPA, Apapa, at the sensitisation programme, said the event was organised to teach port users the need to keep their environment clean.

“If you drive all around Apapa, you will see the rate streets are littered with dirt, and this is unacceptable.

“The government places a big responsibility on the PHS to play a key role in the sanitation of the environment and the maintenance of the port.

“That responsibility before now was failing and we want to take it up, so we are starting today to declare a war against improper sanitation.

“Beginning from Nov. 7, 2024, we are going to sustain it as a weekly activity within the hours of 8.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m. We will all be out cleaning and clearing the streets of Apapa.

“We want these people to be responsible and keep the environment clean within these hours.

“It is an official environmental sanitation time no one is expected to engage in any commercial activity such as engaging in any food and commercial activity,” he said.

He said after the exercise, the next move would be enforcement by the police and other agencies.

“Since we have sensitised them today, the next move is to check them next week and enforce the law accordingly.

“I am sure that if we sustain this, there will be changes,” he said.

Journalists who monitored the exercise reported that the port environment was filled with dirt, such as nylon, sachets and dirty papers.

One Kazeem Ayinde, a truck driver, said that there was no provision for toilet facilities, which made people defecate at the back of their trucks.

“If we leave our truck to look for where to defecate and they pass our trucks, we will be penalised; that’s why we have to stay here, bath and defecate at the same place,” he said.

Reacting, Adebowale Lawal, the port manager, NPA, said there are sets of toilets for the port users.

Mr Lawal added that mobile toilets would be made available for users where necessary to ensure compliance with a clean environment.

“The seaport is like an airport, if the environment is dirty; if anyone comes here and the environment is dirty, they will think Nigerians are dirty.

“Ports have to be cleaned; we need a healthy environment to reduce the pressure on our health sector.

“This is why we are partnering with PHS to see the end to this and make sure anyone finds guilty is penalised,” he said.

(NAN)